Varig Flight 797
PP-VJK, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 1987 |
| Summary | Crashed while landing due to engine failure |
| Site | Akouré, Ivory Coast |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-320C |
| Operator | Varig |
| IATA flight No. | RG797 |
| ICAO flight No. | VRG797 |
| Call sign | VARIG 797 |
| Registration | PP-VJK |
| Flight origin | Port Bouet Airport, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Destination | Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Occupants | 51 |
| Passengers | 39 |
| Crew | 12 |
| Fatalities | 50 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Varig Flight 797 was a flight from Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On 3 January 1987, the Boeing 707-320C crashed while landing, killing all 12 crew members and 38 of the 39 passengers. After an engine failure, the pilot decided to return but misjudged the approach and stalled the aircraft. It crashed onto a rubber plantation in the midst of the jungle, 18 kilometres (11 mi; 9.7 nmi) from the airport at a speed of 400 kilometres per hour (220 kn; 250 mph). Many passengers who survived the initial crash died in the fire that followed.